Maintenance requirements associated with mandibular implant overdentures: clinical results after first year of service

The aim of this clinical study was to evaluate the prosthodontic maintenance requirements during the first year of service of mandibular overdentures supported by interforaminal implants and to assess the influence of attachment type, implant number, and bite force on these requirements. Fifty-nine patients treated with mandibular implant overdentures between the years 2004 and 2009 and appearing in the 12th-month recall were included in this study. The overdentures constituted 4 groups: 2 single interforaminal implants (1 group with locator and 1 group with ball attachments), 3 single interforaminal implants, 3 splinted interforaminal implants (bar), and 4 splinted interforaminal implants (bar). During the examination, prosthetic parameters such as occlusion, tissue adaptation, condition of the retentive mechanism (matrice and patrice), and the condition of the denture-bearing tissues were evaluated and recorded. No statistically significant relation was found between attachment type, bite force values, implant number, and the occurring complications except the need for relining, which was found significantly more in the ball attachments than in other attachment groups (P  =  .03). After 12 months following the overdenture insertion, there seems to be no relation between occurring complications and patient-related factors, such as maximum bite force, age, and gender, as well as factors related to the overdentures such as number and type of attachments.